mendham



Patented Apr. 25, I899.

0. r. MENDHAM. v MACHINE FOR HEBMETICALLY CLOSING CIRCULAR SEAMS OFSHEET METAL CANS.

(Application filed Jan. 5, 1899.)

4 Sheets-Sheet I.

(N!) Model.)

Fig.1.

ma nunms warms co, PNOYO-LITHOU WASHINGTON. o. c.

No. 623,802. Patented Apr. 25, I899.

C. F. MENDIIAIII'. v

MACHINE FOR HEBNIETICALLY CLOSING CIRCULAR SEAMS 0F SHEET METAL CANS.

(Application filed. Jan. 5, 1809.)

(No Model.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Page.

Patented Apr. 25, I899.

C. F. 'MENDHAM. MACHINE FOR HERMETICALLY CLOSING CIRCULAR SEAMS 0F SHEETMETAL CANS.

(Application filed Jan. 5, 1809.)

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Modal.)

a Isa THE uonms PETERS cu. P'4OTO-LIYHO., wAsmNuToN, n, c.

Patented Apr. 25, I899.

4 Sheds-Sheet 4.

C. F. MENDHAM.

(Application filed. Jim. 5, 1899.)

ah 2, FL L 7 MACHINE FOR HERIIETICALLY CLOSING CIRCULAR SEAMS CF SHEETMETAL CANS.

(No Model.)

CONRAD F. MENDI-IAM, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

MACHINE FOR HERMETICALLY CLOSING CIRCULAR SEAMS 0F SHEET-METAL CANS,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 623,802, dated April25, 1899.

Application filed January 5, 1899.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that'I, CONRAD FIELD MEND- HAM, engineer, a subject of theQueen of Great Britain, residing in South Norwood, London, England, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines forHermetically Olosin g the Circular Seams of Sheet-Metal Oans andLikeVessels, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional sideelevation of one form of my improved machine, showing the relativepositions of the parts before the can to be operated upon is pressedupward against the tool. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, drawn to anenlarged scale, showing the parts in the relative positions which theyassume when the said can is pressed upward. Fig. 3 is a plan, partly insection, on the line x m, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 1,showing another form or modification of my improved machine. Fig. 5 is aplan, partly in horizontal section, on the line 93, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is atransverse section through the rollercage on the line y 3 Fig. 5, drawnto an enlarged scale. Fig. 7 is a section of another form of my improvedtool, showing also in elevation a roller to be used therewith.

My invention relates to an improved machine for-making ahermetically-closed joint around the circular seams of sheet-metal cansor like vessels by rolling, compressing, or squeezing together theinterengaging flanges or folded parts forming such seams, so as to bringthe touching surfaces thereof into very intimate contact.

My improved machine is chiefly intended for use in the manufacture ofcans, drums, or similar sheet-metal vessels for containing explosive orinflammable materials in the closing whereof the use of a hotsolderingiron would be a source of danger. The said machine is, however,also useful for closing cans containing food or other articles of aperishable nature.

My said invention partly consists in the combination of a die-ring and aroller or disk within the same, one of which is capable of a limitedlateral movement relatively to the other, means for rotating said rolleror the die-ring, and means to move said roller or die-ring laterally tocauseit to assume an ec- Serial No. 701,259. (No model.)

centric position relatively to the other part,

and thus squeeze the seam between the two parts.

My said invention also partly consists in the combination of thedie-ring, a roller therein, between which and said die-ring the seam tobe operated is inserted, and a releasing device for disengaging the toolfrom the can or like vessel when the joint has been completed; and mysaid invention further comprises other combinations and arrangement ofparts, as hereinafter more particularly described, and pointed out inthe claims. 1 Referring to the drawings, A is a standard supporting abearing B, through which passes a sleeve B, longitudinally movabletherein, but restrained from rotation by means of a feather B O is acollar limiting the motion ,of the sleeve B ina downward direction andnormally held by the yielding spring C against the end of the bearing B.

D is a rotatable spindle extending through and working freelyin thesleeve B and mounted in a suitable bearing D. This spindle is providedwith a pulley D or other convenient means for driving it and with athrust-collar D both firmly secured to or forming part of the spindle D.Being held thus, this spindle can only have a rotary motion. On thelower end of the central spindle D is mounted a bush E, which isrotatable in a ring F and is made with a tapered keyway E to receive atapered feather D on the said spindle D, forming an operative connectionbetween these tWo parts. The hole through the bush E is enlarged on theside opposite to the keyway E, 'so as to permit the spindle to take up aposition eccentricto the bush, a fiat spring D keeping the partsconcentric while not in operation.

The ring F is held in place in the lower end of the sleeve B by a shellH, screwed upon'a flange on the said sleeve and secured thereon by aset-screw H. An external screw-thread formed upon the shell H receives aring K, which carries the die-ring L and is provided with a handle K forrotating it, and thereby raising it to release the can, as hereinafterdescribed. A roller G is mounted upon a short spindle G, which fitswithin a socketbearing G inthe lower end of the spindle D'. This rolleris free to rotate independently,-

being held loosely between the ring F and a shoulder on the shell II.

An adjustable set-screw M is provided in an extension of the standard Afor limiting the upward motion of the sleeve B and its adjuncts.

N is a vertically-moving table for-supporting the work and pressing thesame upward against the tool.

For securing the top or bottom to the sides of a cylindrical can orother vessel the said can or the like, with the joint folded in anysuitable manner, is placed upon the table N, which is then raised andpressed upward, so as to bring the seam to be closed within the die-ringI and force the upper end of the work against the extension II of theshell II, which is thus lifted, together with the sleeve B and itsadjuncts, the socketbearing G being made sufficiently long to permit theroller G to be lifted with the sleeve B relatively to the spindle D,which latter is prevented from rising by means of the thrust-collar Dpressing against the under side of the bearing D. The lifting of thesleeve 13 causes the bush E, with its taper-keyway E, to slide over thetaperfeather D whereby the spindle D is moved laterally and carries theroller G to a position eccentric to the die-ring, as shown in Figs. 2and 3. The roller G is then caused to rotate with the spindle D, so thatthe said roller is pressed successively against all points around thecircumference of the seam and squeezes the material between it and thedie-ring. The roller being free to rotate independently of the otherparts will acquire a rolling motion and pass over the work withoutsliding upon or injuring the surface thereof. This operation expands thelayers of the material successively, so that the outermost one fitsclosely within the die-ring, and the contiguous surfaces in the seam areforced very tightly against one another and remain so on account of therolling and expanded force being applied only from the inner side of theseam. The handle K is then turned to move the die-ring up past theextension H of the shell II, and thus release the work. The diering isthen restored to its original position relatively to the shell II, theadjustable guardring K", which is secured in any desired position bymeans of the set-screw K limiting the downward motion of the ring K bycoming in contact with the lowerflange of the sleeve B.

I sometimes modify the construction of my improved machine by arrangingthe die-ring in such a manner that it can be caused to 1'0- rate whileheld in an eccentric position relatively to a ring or disk within it,between which and the said die-ring the seam to be operated upon issqueezed. In this case the required pressure is applied laterally to thesaid die-ring by means of a revolving roller pressed against theperiphery thereof. An arrangement of this kind is shown in Fig. '7, inwhich the die-ring L is caused to rotate while forced into an eccentricposition relatively to a disk or roller G within it. For this purposethe said die-ring is supported by means of a flange L, engaging betweena shoulder G on the roller G and a back plate L secured to the saidroller, so as to be capable of moving radially relatively to the saidroller. Vhen the parts G L L are caused to revolve and pressure isapplied to the exterior of the ring L by means of a roller J, the seamto be operated upon will be squeezed between the roller G and die-ring Iso as to affect the closure of the joint in a fluid-tight manner. Inthis arrangement the inner disk or roller G is provided with acircumferential projection or rib a, so that in the operation of themachine it will press the metal outward from the inside, so as to forman external head just below the joint, and thus more effectually renderthe same fluid tight.

In Figs. 4, 5, and o I have shown a modification of my improved machine,in which a cage P is rotatably mounted in the collar F and is dividedinto separate compartments, each containing a roller G. A cone-facedthimble R, sliding on the spindle D, is pressed downward by a spring Itupon the upper ends of the rollers in such a manner as to force theirlower ends inward away from the die-ring L. The said rollers G, of whichthere may be any convenient number, are preferably made cone-shaped andare arranged to be pressed outward by a cone-faced collar S, fixed uponand rotated by the spindle D. The work is thrust upward into themachine, as above described, lifting the rollers G, so that they areforced laterally by the tapered surface of the collar S, which has novertical motion, against the work and rollaround upon it, carrying withthem the cage I. The object of this cage is to keep the rollersequidistant and separate from each other. The other parts operate in themanner above described. A suitable outline may be given to the die-ringfaces and the rollers to obtain a beaded or corrugated closed seam,according to requirements, in which case the diering is made up in partsor sections.

lVhat I claim is- 1. The combination of a die-ring and a roller or diskwithin the same, between which the seam to be operated upon is inserted,one of these parts being capable of a limited lateral movementrelatively to the other, means for rotating one of said parts and meansfor moving the rotary part laterally to cause it to assume a positioneccentric to the other part and thus squeeze said seam by exerting arolling force on the inner surface thereof, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a die-ring, a roller within said die-ring, meansfor rotating said roller and means for moving said roller laterally,while it is rotating, so. as to bring it into a position eccentric tosaid die-ring, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a die-ring and a roller within the same, betweenwhich the seam to be operated upon is inserted, and means to move saiddie-ring longitudinally relatively to said roller to release said seam,substantially as described.

4. The combination of a die-ring, a sleeve to which said die-ring isattached, a rotary spindle extending through said sleeve and having ataper feather and a socket atits lower end, a roller within saiddie-ring fixed on a short spindle extending into the soc-ketin saidspindle, a ring held in the lower end of said sleeve and a rotary bushin said ring having a taper keyway to receive the taper feather on saidspindle, said sleeve and its adjuncts being movable longitudinally uponsaid spindle and said spindle being capable 'of lateral movement in saidbush, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a die-ring and a roller or disk within the same,between which the seam to be operated upon is inserted, one of theseparts being capable of a limited lateral movement relatively to'the'other, and

said roller or disk having a circumferential projection or rib to forman external bead below the joint, means for rotating one of said partsand means for moving the rotary part laterally to cause it to assume aposition eccentric to the other part and thus squeeze or squeeze andexpand said seam, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a die-ring, a roller within the same between whichand said diering the seam to be operated is inserted, a shell supportingsaid roller and an adjustable ring screwed upon said shell and carryingsaid (lie-ring, whereby said die-ring can be moved longitudinallyrelatively to said roller and shell to release said seam, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing wit- 'nesses.

CONRAD F. MENDHAM.

Witnesses:

EDMUND S. SNEWIN, WM. V. BROWN.

